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The club was founded in 1887 in a setting of wild duneland. Many holes feature blind or partially blind shots, although the unfairness element has been reduced somewhat, after several 20th century modifications. The club's Challenge Trophy dates from 1888 and is one of the oldest trophies in golf; it has been contested annually except for war years. The course also possesses the deepest bunker in championship golf, located on its fourth hole.[2]

Author Ian Fleming used the Royal St. George's course under the name "Royal St. Marks" in his 1959 novel Goldfinger.

Environmental Awareness

The course has been involved in a research informed study undertaken by Graham Earl since 2011, on behalf of Natural England and Canterbury Christ Church University.

The intensive study undertaken between 2011 - 2015 at Sandwich Bay, incorporated all three links golf courses located at Sandwich Bay, including Royal Cinque Ports golf club and Princes golf club. These courses were involved in an Eco-hydrological study, focusing upon the chemical composition of the groundwater, historical analysis of vegetation composition and management trials looking at site-specific management regimes which encourage native sward development.

Management trials indicated that burning as a management regime promoted an increase in native swards. A combination of the research informed outcomes and enthusiasm for the study by Head Greenkeeper Paul Larsen, has helped to revert in a positive way the SSSI status at Royal St Georges golf club, in an unprecedented three-year period.

This burning management regime provides a fast quick burn, therefore not affecting the rooting zone, (in particular the rare orchids which resides predominantly at Sandwich Bay), but does remove the thatch layer removing generalist competitive plant/grass species. The burning treatment that can be viewed between October - February, was undertaken to reduce the sward thatch and encourage native grey dune plant species, of which has been very successful and the site now hosts one of the largest abundance of orchids in a single site, managed for amenity.